To Families and Non Paid Support

Statement from the Executive Director

I took over my new role as Executive Director in April of 2017 after an extensive career in other human service roles, direct care and administration. My new role as Executive Director at OCL feels more like an avocation than a job, career, or paycheck. You see I have two children who happen to be diagnosed with Down Syndrome. I love and enjoy them greatly and I know the anxious and frustrating side of trying to meet their needs. I have learned that the system of services, the professionals, and even I as a parent have limitations. It’s impossible to fix everything for my kids though I may spend every minute of my life trying to

I am proud to be at the helm of this great agency. OCL was originally formed back in 1987 by parents and other concerned citizens who wanted better circumstances for persons with developmental disabilities. OCL is the agency in New York that pioneered personalized homes. OCL supports independence, living, working, skills, and social lives by helping each individual we serve to develop their own plan and lifestyle. This personalized approach has evolved over nearly a quarter of a century now and the agency has been recognized both nationally and internationally as an innovator in personalized supports for persons with developmental disabilities. They even wrote a book about OCL. “One Person at A Time” [Training Resource Network https://trn-store.com/catalog/one-person-time or at Amazon.com]

The agency will continue its rich tradition as a personalized service innovator. OCL will provide and perfect services that are person-centered, that emphasize choice, balance wishes, wants, and needs, that are inclusive, safe, and sensitive to the concerns of families and respective of their ideas. The agency will be attentive and timely to issues, one that returns calls in a timely manner, and the agency will strive to create solutions and possibility within the limits of circumstance. The agency will be receptive to the individuals we serve, we will host quarterly family meetings, and we will participate in regional and statewide discussions about improving the system of services that we operate in. The agency will seek to develop new services that meet unmet needs and innovate in ways that help enhance the lives of persons like your and my children (adult or young)

Family members of individuals served by OCL have already identified some strengths of OCL. They have said that the strengths of OCL are, “the staff,” “they are person centered,” “innovative,” “work with you to make the best things happen,” and “solve issues like transportation.” One family member said that “what has always been OCL is the question, “what do you want and need and how can we make it happen?”

In the end, I want OCL to be the agency that individuals and families are most likely to choose for their services. I want them to choose it because OCL does the right thing, is respectful and personable, and because OCL really cares about and helps people

Family Meeting

Onondaga Community Living, Inc. is committed to working with families and other persons that care about the individuals the agency serves. We invite family members and other non-paid supports to join us for a family meeting that takes place every three months. These informal meetings are hosted by the OCL Executive Director. They are an opportunity to discuss the quality of services provided by the agency, to influence the direction of the agency, to learn about changes in the service system, express concerns, and they are a great opportunity to meet other OCL families.

Would you like to attend? Call us so we can let you know when and where the next one is (315) 434-9597